1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a sheet conveying apparatus, a sheet post-processing apparatus which performs processing to a sheet, and an image forming apparatus which is provided with the sheet conveying apparatus and the sheet post-processing apparatus and conveys the sheet by the sheet conveying apparatus or forms an image in the sheet and performs the processing to the sheet by the sheet post-processing apparatus, particularly relates to the sheet conveying apparatus which is formed so as to narrow a space in upward and downward directions which a sheet path occupies, the sheet post-processing apparatus, and the image forming apparatus which is provided with the sheet conveying apparatus and the sheet post-processing apparatus.
2. Related Background Art
In the related art, for example, the sheet post-processing apparatus performs alignment, which arrange an end portion of the sheet received from a main body of the image forming apparatus at an intermediate stacking portion, and post-processing at a sheet post-processing portion in which the sheet is bound by, e.g. a stapler and discharges the sheet to stack it. The sheet post-processing portion which is sheet post-processing means, the intermediate roller, a sheet discharging roller, and the like are provided in the intermediate stacking portion. The sheet post-processing portion is placed on the upstream side in a sheet conveying direction higher than the nip of the intermediate roller.
Therefore, in a sheet post-processing mode, the sheet post-processing apparatus in the related art once switchback-conveys the sheet passed through the intermediate roller to the upstream side in a sheet conveying direction, strikes the sheet against a reference wall, and aligns a rear end of the sheet. Then, the sheet post-processing apparatus performs the post-processing to the sheet at that position with the sheet post-processing portion and finally discharges the sheet to a stacking tray with the sheet discharging roller to stack the sheet.
However, in the sheet post-processing apparatus in the related art, since the sheet post-processing portion is provided on the upstream side higher than the intermediate roller, the sheet passed through the intermediate roller is once switchback-conveyed to the upstream side, which results in double provision in a vertical direction of a first sheet path from an entrance of the sheet post-processing apparatus to the intermediate roller and a second sheet path from the reference wall to the sheet discharging roller. Therefore, in the sheet post-processing apparatus, a height of the main body is increased and a size tends to be enlarged.